Def Cab for Cutie
Toyota's subversive anti-car.
By Mickey Kaus
Updated Friday, July 2, 2004, at 4:48 AM PT

slate.msn.com "Gearbox Column"

Scroll down in article, past the bs, to the picture of the Element & xB (entitled, "Fake Panzer vs. Ghoul Box"). This is where the very interesting article really begins.

Scion xB: You've probably noticed this thing on the road—seemingly about as square as a vehicle can be, with a sinister giant-shaver front end. It looks like an electrogothic cab of death! Even its name and creepy logo appear to be those of the villainous organization in a James Bond movie. "We have reports that SCION is really a front for a madman bent on world domination." It's not cute. When I first saw one, I thought it was coming to ferry me across the river Styx. Room for one more inside, sir!

Now I love it. Why? First, it completes the deconstruction of the SUV that began with the "cute ute" Toyota RAV4. The RAV4 answered the question, "what if you kept the SUV's tough, off-road image but subtracted the heavy chassis and gas-chugging V-8?" Then came the Honda Element, which (like the RAV4) had the guts of an economy car but (unlike the RAV4) managed to keep an SUV's cavernous interior volume. Now comes the Scion, which subtracts two more factors in the traditional SUV equation—pointlessly high ground clearance and four-wheel drive.
Read the whole article at:

http://slate.msn.com/id/2103009/

Enjoy. :lol: RPM

which is funny because all i ever thought of the xB is a box wagon like the Move, StepWagon and the like. A tall wagon of sorts..not anything close to an SUV.

I've always thought it was that way - a mini-SUV without all the fakiness of their "off-road" abilities.

I see alot of Cute-Ute drivers looking at it.

It's also struck me that it's what the lowered S-10 Blazer crowd and the like were striving for...

As much as I hate the "SUV" moniker, the xB is closer to being a Sport Utility vehicle than any of the sloppy handling 4x4's out there. Most of which have barely an inch or two more ground clearance (the xB has 6 inches)

There's nothing "sport" about a Chevy Tahoe.

The xB can keep pace with more than a couple of "sports" cars when it comes to handling and you want to talk about "utility"? Show me something with more utility than an xB for it's size and price.

so true nest...preach on...

As much as I hate the "SUV" moniker, the xB is closer to being a Sport Utility vehicle than any of the sloppy handling 4x4's out there. Most of which have barely an inch or two more ground clearance (the xB has 6 inches)

Remember that the Element has (gasp) 0.8 inches more ground clearance than an xB. Hardly a rock-hopper!

There's nothing "sport" about a Chevy Tahoe.

The xB can keep pace with more than a couple of "sports" cars when it comes to handling and you want to talk about "utility"? Show me something with more utility than an xB for it's size and price.

Arguably, if we define "sport utility" as big interior volume with off-road capability then the VW bus has to be one of the first (and best) SUVs. It has an interior that won't quit and 10 inches of real ground clearance! Not 4WD, but with the weight bias over the drive wheels and light weight, it doesn't need it.

However, do we really want our xBs thought of as SUVs?

I think that the Slate writer suffered from "blank page syndrome"!

George

hahha george maybe he does...lol :D :D :D

Great article! This guy is the most refreshing automotive writer I've ever come across. "Def cab for cutie"- I love that title

Great article! This guy is the most refreshing automotive writer I've ever come across. "Def cab for cutie"- I love that title
I loved it, too. Even though I prefer The Postal Service.